Kamal Haasan, who is set to unveil his political party’s name and go on a tour on February 21, said he and Rajinikanth should first formally launch their political parties.

Actors Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan at the launch of Kizhakku Africavil Raju on the occasion of AIADMK founder MG Ramachandran's 101st birth anniversary in Chennai in January.(PTI file)

Leading Tamil actor Kamal Haasan, who is all set to foray into politics soon, on Thursday said he and superstar Rajinikanth needed to contemplate if it was necessary for them to join hands and face elections.

Asked for his response, Rajinikanth, who announced his political entry on December 31 last year, told reporters here that only time will tell if he will join hands with Haasan during their political journey.

“I (have) already told you. Only time will answer all these questions,” Rajinikanth said.

To a question on facing the next Lok Sabha polls, Rajinikanth said he will take a decision at the “appropriate time.”

Referring to his remarks that “system is rotten” and whether it referred to Tamil Nadu or India, he said “first of all, in Tamil Nadu you have to correct it.”

On January 17 too, to a query on forging ties with Haasan, Rajinikanth had said “only time will be able to tell that. Let us see in due course of time.”

In his weekly column in Tamil magazine Ananda Vikatan, Haasan said both of them were being asked repeatedly if they would face the polls together and added that he endorsed the view of Rajinikanth in this respect.

“Rajini sir, to this question had said that only time will give an answer and I had seconded that view. Truly, only time will answer,” he said.

Haasan, who is set to unveil his political party’s name and go on a political tour on February 21, said both of them should first formally launch their respective political parties. Following this, policies should be spelt out and it needed to be seen if these were compatible, he said.

“Hence, it is not a decision that can be taken now... Also, both of us need to ponder if that is necessary,” he said.

In addition, Haasan said the question of aligning with Rajinikanth was not like choosing the star cast for films as both were entirely different things.

Last month, Haasan had appealed to the people to support his political journey.

“Join hands with me to empower our country and the state,” he had said.

During a meeting with his fans here last May, Rajinikanth had said the “system is rotten” and that it needs to be changed, then seen as a hint of his political plunge.

The entry of the two top Tamil film stars comes against the backdrop of a perceived vacuum in Tamil Nadu politics after former chief minister J Jayalalithaa’s death in 2016 and the ill-health of DMK chief M Karunanidhi for over a year following which he was inactive in politics.